Trucks

October 12, 2013

Auctioneer Jeff Stokes works on selling a 1978 Seagrave hook-and-ladder truck; it sold for a bid of $3,100. Final sales price was $3,410, with buyer's fee. (Photo above (c) by Terry Parkhurst)

One of the most interesting auctions of the past summer took place on the first Sunday of June. About 300 registered bidders and spectators jammed inside a building at the Marymount Event Center in south Tacoma, Washington to bid on a collection of over 100 vintage tractors, trucks and a few classic automobiles.

The location was especially fitting, considering that the Marymount holds the LeMay Family Collection. The LeMay family’s pater familias, Harold LeMay, assembled an eclectic collection of automobiles, trucks and even tractors, before he passed away in November of 2000, at age 81. Now, Doug LeMay, Harold’s son, heads up the family’s collection. There is also a museum in Tacoma, called the LeMay Museum, also known as America’s Car Museum ® and it is a separate entity; although the family has donated vehicles to the museum and loans out others.

Harold LeMay made his money in garbage collection. He began collecting scrap, while still in high school, and then selling it. It was the Great Depression and a person had to be resourceful. After high school, he bought his first garbage route, fixing up beater trucks to make his business go. It grew into LeMay Enterprises and became one of the top five hauling, disposal and recycling companies in the United States.

The Marymount Event Center reportedly holds 500 vintage vehicles, consisting mostly of automobiles, but also trucks, buses and motorcycles. Some of them of those being auctioned were left over from the family’s collection. It was felt that rather than restore them, it was time to let them go to someone else.

The auction was staged by Lucky Collector Car Auctions, a company formed last year by Doug LeMay and Evan McMullen, owner of Cosmopolitan Motors in Seattle, Washington. Three auctioneers worked the crowd, trading off during the three-and-half hours it took to conduct the auction: Jeff Stokes, Dan Schorno and Ryan Massey. Not all bidders were in the audience. A table, off to the side of the docket, had people handling phone bids (through Proxy-bid).

The first 9 lots were small collections of model fire engines, tractors and miscellaneous trucks, most of which sold for a hundred or two hundred dollars. It was the auctioneers’ way of getting the crowd wound up; but the crowd was ready to go when tractors started being offered.

It started slow as a 1946 Case VAC tractor sold for a bid of $100; the final sales price was $110, as all sales were subject to a 10 percent buyer’s fee. Shortly thereafter, a 1945 John Deere sold for a bid of $5,500 (final sale price: $6,050).

But it was the trucks that the crowd really wanted to see. When a 1917 White flatbed rolled it, it ended up with a final bid of $8,000 (final sale price: $8,800).

A 1956 Willys JEEP station wagon was in very good shape and brought a lot of attention when it was driven to the docket; selling for a bid of $5,800 (final sale price: $6,380). Since some of the trucks weren’t running, or were so big they couldn’t negotiate the limited space inside the building (which held collector vehicles, stacked three high), they were sold in place, with only a photo for bidders to go by.

That’s how a 1940 Dodge VF20 four-by-four, military truck sold; although it was reported as being somewhere, lined up outside, if anyone wanted to see it in person. The photo was enough for bidders to jump in and one got it for a bid of just $3,750 (with a final sales price of $4,225.00).

This 1941 Ford fire truck, fully operational and in good running condition, sold for a bid of just $6,200. (Photo (c) by Terry Parkhurst)

A very clean and running 1941 Ford fire truck was driven inside and stopped short of the auctioneer’s podium. It ended up selling to Mitch Silver, who heads up Silver Auctions in Spokane, Washington, for a bid of just $6,200 (sales price, $6,820 with buyer’s fee).

The story behind a 1955 Bristol double-decker bus was especially interesting. It had gone from the family collection to the LeMay museum; however, a double-decker bus is hard to store in a museum and so the management of the museum decided to sell it at this auction. That led it to be bought back by Doug LeMay for a bid of $17,000 and a final sales price of $18,700 (with buyer’s fee).

Auctioneer Jeff Stokes does ringman duty, working the crowd for bids on a 1955 Bristol double-decker bus.(photo (c) by Terry Parkhurst)

A 1914 American LaFrance fire truck that had been assigned the name “Apparatus #1,” when it served as the first fire engine for Seattle, was driven out by Doug LeMay. It had been capable of projecting 800 gallons of water per minute – better than a fire boat the City of Seattle also had at the time. In the many years before it was finally decommissioned in 1955, and sold to a private individual in 1955, it spent some years in service as needed; while other years, it was “held in reserve.” That was probably because of its ability to pump so much water.

After several minutes of spirited bidding, it was bought by a member of the Last Resort Fire Department museum in Seattle, for a bid of $12,000 ($13,200, final price with buyer’s fee). As an anonymous former firefighter, when offered a microphone, said, “It’s going where it belongs, so we can remember fellow firefighters. It seems like a lot of money, but the price is subjective.”

The truck that surprised even the auctioneers was a 1932 Kenworth that wasn’t running. Evan McMullen said that “PACCAR contacted us about this truck.” There appeared to be about four bidders in the crowd and one on the phone. It ended up selling for a bid of $17,000, with a final sales price of $18,700 (when the 10 percent buyer's fee was added to the final, winning bid).

Bidding slowed down after that, and most sales were less below a thousand dollars, such as a 1952 Ford Big Job fire truck, in seemingly good condition, that sold for just $550 (final sales price with fee included). Notable exceptions were the 1988 Kenworth T800 tow truck that sold for $58,300 (including fee); a 1929 Ford AA tow truck that sold for $4,950 (including fee); and a 1926 Ford TT flatbed truck, sold for $3,300.

Most of the trucks were sold at no reserve, but a few remained unsold, at the auction’s end; but overall, this was a successful auction for both buyers and sellers, with an opportunity to see and buy some interesting examples of trucking and farm history. -- Terry Parkhurst

September 09, 2012

Children and adults were both pleased to look over Gary Tischer's 1964 Pontiac GTO, complete with tri-power carburetion and a 389 cubic-inch V8, backed up by a four-speed manual transmission. Tischer brought it up from Renton, Washington for the Greenwood Car Show in Seattle. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst, subject to copyright)

This year saw the 10th staging of the Kirkland Concours d’Elegance. It was held down in Tacoma, Washington, about 40 miles south of Kirkland, on September ninth. If you don’t understand how that works I can’t tell you, but having grown up in Tacoma, I know one thing: Tacoma is very different from Kirkland. Tacoma used to be primarily known for a smelter plant whose smell permeated the city all the way to the freeway. Kirkland, on the other hand, has been called the “Rodeo Drive of the North.”

The LeMay auto museum, which bills itself as “America’s Car Museum,” has been a sponsor from the get-go of the Kirkland concours; so this year the people who run the museum, decided it wouldn’t matter if the concours wasn’t staged in the city of Kirkland. They felt they owned the concept. Nonetheless, the location name of the concours remains the same.

Compare that to the Greenwood district in Seattle, which held its 20th anniversary show this past June, right where it started – in Greenwood – on the same day: last Saturday of the month. Consistency has value, even with car shows. Call that lesson number one.

It’s a low key affair. You wouldn’t see anyone cleaning their exhaust pipes with a toothbrush at Greenwood. The show is staged along Greenwood Avenue North, for a distance of mile-and-a-half. This year, the owners of about 650 cars and trucks participated and an estimated 50,000 spectators ambled through. Looking was free, but entering a vehicle was not. People drive their cars there, even when that car is a 1913 Cadillac.

Harold Musolf, standing with his 1913 Cadillac, listens to questions from interested spectators. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst, subject to copyright)

Harold Musolf, a machinist who makes restoration parts for REO autos – what Ransom Eli Olds started his legacy with in the auto business – drove one of two 1913 Cadillacs he owns, to Greenwood from the nearby Ballard neighborhood.

Musolf also has a 1906 Losier, an auto of which he said, “You have to make everything for that.” The Cadillac, on the other hand, “is what I’d call a popular car; we put 1,000 miles a year on it.”

Part of those miles is due from trips to downtown Seattle, to pick up his wife, Gayle; after she gets off work. Musolf’s grandfather bought the Cadillac on display from a wrecking yard, up in Bellingham, Washington, back in 1957; then, in 1997, Musolf obtained it from his granddad, which had never restored it. The engine still has its original Babbitt bearings, he said. He changed the pistons out from 8 pound aluminum to 31 pound steel molybdenum; made the pistons from those in a Ford 460 cubic-inch engine. The Caddy’s engine measures 367.7 cubic inches and produces 48.8 horsepower.

Not far from the antique Cadillac, was a car that might not make it into a concours, but brought back a lot of memories for those who remember the SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) sport sedan and coupe wars of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s: a 1968 Opel Cadet Rallye (sic) coupe. Troy Moore had brought it down by Lynnwood, Washington. He said, “I’ve owned it two-and-a-half years. It sold (to me) in Wenatchee, and I bought it off of Craig’s List. The only rust left is on the bottom of the left side’s rocker panel and inside the right wheel-well.”

Resplendent in orange with black accents, and shod with aftermarket chrome wheels, you’d be hard-pressed to notice anything out of whack, if it hadn’t been pointed out to you. Recarro seats and a four-speed manual transmission added to its allure.

What’s really been the drawing card for the Greenwood show, the past few years is the diversity of vehicles. Last year’s show held some vintage Datsun trucks and this year’s show held those and one more, a bright green 1964 Datsun L320; powered with a 1200 cubic-centimeter in-line four cylinder engine, putting out 60 horsepower. Something it shared with antique cars: it could be started by hand cranking, if need be.

Battery power low? No worries with this 1964 Datsun pickup. It has the capability to be hand-cranked. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst, subject to copyright)

Jerry Barkley, owner of Crown Hill Automotive, showed his own car, a well-restored 1937 Ford. Barkley became active in the show, in 2009, after two successive years that had different public relations professionals running the show.

After 2008, the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce bailed out, when monies disappeared to places no one knew. That led to the formation of the Greenwood Knights Car Club, of which Barkley became a member. The show became a fund-raiser for local charities; and last year, the show raised $13,000 for the local food bank and others. While spectators can roam the show for free, there's a fee to enter a vehicle and business sponsorship.

The concours in Tacoma is also a fund raiser, mainly for Children’s Hospital in Seattle. It’s raised about $1.5 million dollars since its inception in Kirkland, back in 2003. While the concours has business sponsors - a bank was the main sponsor this year - adult spectators had to pay $25 to view the vehicles up close; that fee included admission to the LeMay - ACM this year. (Teenagers paid less and children under seven could see it all for free.)

Unfortunately, an invitation to attend the concours came my way, too late. So I can’t say with any authority how well things went, with the change in venue. It should help the concours, to be on the grounds next to one of the world’s largest auto museums. But it still seems that a name change would be a good idea, to indicate a new location. After all, if the Greenwood Car Show moved out of Seattle, would they still call it the Greenwood Car Show? -- Terry Parkhurst

September 29, 2011

Steve Terrien's 1958 Porsche 550-A Spyder was part of a special display of vintage cars at the Kirkland Concours in Kirkland, Washington, on the east side of Lake Washington. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

The filmic version of James Bond has had a number of different automobiles. But perhaps the most iconic was the Aston Martin DB5 that Sean Connery first used in the 1964 film Goldfinger. That was the one with the pop-out gun barrels, behind the front directionals, a passenger ejector seat, a bullet shield just aft of the rear glass, revolving number license plates and even an oil-slick dispenser to assist when being tailed by bad guys. Aston Martin was the featured marque at this year’s Kirkland Concours, just east of Seattle, on September eleventh; so, one of the several DB5s used in that film was on display and surrounded by a selection of other Aston-Martins that would allow those unfamiliar with the history of the marque, to understand what preceded it.

One of several Aston-Martin DB5 sports cars used in the production of the James Bond film "Goldfinger." The prototype DB5, number DP/216/1, also used in that movie, was stolen from its last home in Florida and hasn't been seen since 1997. This is DB5/1486/R. It was used as a stand-in during the filming and became known as the Road Car. (Photos by Terry Parkhurst)

There were 11 Aston-Martin automobiles that ranged from two 1934 vintage models – an Ulster 1.5 liter roadster and a MKII Sport Saloon – to a 2005 BB7 Zagato.

A 1954 Aston-Martin DBR2 that saw duty at Laguna Seca Raceway in the 1950s. Equipped with a space-frame chassis and Lockheed disc brakes at all four corners, power comes via a 3.7 liter DOHC in-line six-cylinder engine, backed up by a five-speed manual transmission. Greg Whitten of Bellevue, the current owner, was on hand to explain its history at the Kirkland Concours. (Photos by Terry Parkhurst)

The Goldfinger DB5 was joined by a light blue 1964 Aston-Martin DB5 owned by Christopher Bayley, a former King County Prosecuting Attorney in the early 1970s, who rooted out payoffs and corruption in the Seattle Police Department of that time. Christopher Bayley stands with his pride-and-joy, a 1964 Aston-Martin DB5. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

The location for this concours was again Carillon Point, which has a great view of Lake Washington; thus allowing a class for seven vintage wood runabouts that included a 1927 Hacker Dolphin (and which also had a 1937 Gar Wood 19-foot Grey Marine-Mogar built CR 723 that won first place). Carillion Point itself has a back story, having once been the site for the Anderson Shipyards until 1923; then, having transmogrified into the Lake Washington Shipyards during the Second World War, and been the birthplace for 29 U.S. Navy ships and the repair facility for many more. After the war, the site was purchased by Alaska Terminal and Stevedoring, a subsidiary of the Skinner Corporation; and used by that concern as a fresh water tie-up for the passenger liners and freighters of the Alaska Steamship Company, which went out of business in 1971.

The flat vista that's the top of a parking garage makes a perfect setting for the outstanding 1932 Auburn model 12-160A cabriolet of Carl King from Lake Forest Park, Washington at the Kirkland Concours. Its 6.5 liter Lycoming V12 engine produces 160 horsepower and produces enough torque to take the 4,235 pound car up to 100 miles-per-hour. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

The current collection of businesses, that includes the Woodmark Hotel and Spa, shops that include a restaurant and a Starbucks, has open spaces that allow for varied levels of viewing.

The epitome of the Art Deco concept is this extremely rare 1934 Voison model 27 coupe owned by Peter Mullins of Los Angeles, California, up for the concours. It's one of only two V27s ever built. Power comes via a three liter, in-line 6 cylinder engine with two Zenith carburetors producing 104 horsepower; capable of propelling the Voison to 93 miles-per-hour. Gabriel Voison, its designer, was a successful aviator and manufacturer of airplanes, prior to the Second World War. (photo by Terry Parkhurst)

The legendary American make Pierce-Arrow had 11 automobiles and two motorcycles – yes, Pierce-Arrow made motorcycles, too – on display. There were so many, that perhaps to make the job a bit easier for the judges, they were broken into two classes: Pierce Arrow – Early (prior to 1924) and Pierce-Arrow – Late (above the former).

Vivian Dohms presents the 1928 Pierce Arrow series 81 limousine, owned by herself and her husband Jerry (of Federal Way, Washington) to three judges, early on the morning of the Kirkland Concours. A full side view of the impressive luuxry car is seen below. The Pierce-Arrow was preferred make for presidential limousines, until the company's demise in the mid-1930s. (Photos by Terry Parkhurst)

Pierce-Arrow, which started out as a manufacturer of bicycles, before it produced automobiles, also made motorcycles. Below, is the 1911 Pierce-Arrow four cylinder motorcycle of Art Redford. The upper and rear frame tubes were designed to hold up to 7 quarts of fuel, while the front down tube could carry 5 pints of oil. When new, it sold for $325. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

Pierce-Arrow also made a one-cylinder motorcycle. Just below is the 1911 Pierce-Arrow one cylinder motorcycle of John and Sharon Burkhalter who displayed it in their home town at the Kirkland Concours. The engine is just 595 cubic-centimeters but will take the lightweight up to 55 miles-per-hour. Pierce-Arrow advertised the motorcycle as having "the efficiency of a twin with the simplicity of one cylinder construction." (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

Because of the rising interest in vintage trucks, this year’s show had a class called “Working Girls” that featured 12 examples of the type of vehicles had to absolutely depend upon to make a living. That included a rare 1928 Graham Brothers screen-side truck. (Graham later was acquired by Dodge.)

The 1932 Ford model "A" delivery truck (foreground) of Gerald Greenfield from Lake Tapps, Washington. Just behind it, is the rare 1928 Graham Brothers screenside of Michael Luberts from Spanaway, Washington. Both were part of the "Working Girls" class at the Kirkland Concours, this year. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

Dean Trenery brought this 1949 Chevrolet one-ton panel delivery truck, powered by a 235 cubic-inch in-line 6 cylinder engine and complete with all original options and a 10 foot, three inch long Swift hydroplane (see below) to participate in the "Working Girls" class at the Kirkland Concours. (Photos by Terry Parkhurst)

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the debut of the E-type Jaguar, there was also a special display of what in the United States was the car known as the XK-E. But the car spectators chose as Best of Show showed that, sometimes the car that's oldest captures everyone's heart. They gave the nod to the 1911 Simplex of Ray Scherr.

Bob and Valerie Johansen's (Woodinville, WA) red 1962 Chevrolet Corvette starts a row of "Straight-Axle Corvettes" as those sans independent rear suspension are known. Just behind their car is John Bianchi's (Seattle) black 1961 Corvette, and one more back, is Dave Freeman's (Seattle) white '59 Corvette with the rare fuel injection option. (Photo by Terry Parkhurst)

This was reportedly the last year for the concours at the Carillon Point location. Next year's concours, on Sunday, September ninth, is scheduled to be held at the LeMay Museum, currently undergoing construction in a former parking lot of the Tacoma Dome. - Terry Parkhurst